BETHANY, Okla. — Needing a win and a little help to stay alive in playoff contention, Southern Nazarene picked up a 57-53 win on senior day over East Central.
 
Entering play today, the Crimson Storm (6-16, 5-14 GAC) trailed Arkansas-Monticello by four games with four games remaining. Very simply, one win by the Cotton Blossoms or one loss by SNU would eliminate Southern Nazarene from contention in the Great American Conference tournament.
 
The Crimson Storm were dialed in from the start as they held the Tigers to just 10 points on 23.5 percent shooting in the first quarter. SNU continued the great defense into the second quarter, and held a 28-24 lead by halftime. The Crimson Storm shot 41.7 percent in the first half and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
 
After a quick 7-0 run for the Tigers tied the game early in the third quarter, it was a back-and-forth affair for the remainder of the period. By the end of the third, the game was tied 42-42.
 
The fourth quarter belonged to the SNU defense, as the Crimson Storm locked down on the Tigers and allowed just 11 points on 18.8 percent shooting from the field and 1-of-7 from downtown. The Tigers managed to hang around and stay within one with 2:35 left, but Southern Nazarene went on a 6-0 run over the next two minutes to seal the win.
 
Adrienne Berry led the Crimson Storm while recording a career-high 12 rebounds and her first double-double by adding 15 points. Abby Boyd led SNU in scoring with 16 points, with eight coming in the final period. Chelseah Savage set a career-high with 13 points while adding three assists and a career-high three steals.
 
Rachel Blevins, Ashleigh Hutchings, and Miranda Taylor each played their final game inside the Sawyer Center for the Crimson Storm.